At Accent, we believe that doing good business means doing good in the world. That is why we are proud sponsors of Neotropical Birding and Conservation (NBC), a UK-registered charity dedicated to protecting the birds of Middle and South America and the Caribbean. Each year, NBC's Conservation Awards Programme (CAP) distributes grants to field researchers and conservation NGOs working to protect some of the most threatened bird species on the planet. Here is a look at the remarkable projects being supported in 2025-2026.

What Is the Conservation Awards Programme?

NBC runs two grant rounds each year, with applications assessed by a specialist sub-committee before being voted on by the charity's Council. Awards are typically made within six weeks of each closing date. The programme relies entirely on donor funding, and every pound raised goes directly into the field.

Projects at a Glance

This year's round of awards spans nine countries and covers everything from critically endangered parrots to a potential new species not yet formally described by science.

In Brazil, two significant awards were made. SAVE Brasil received $3,000 to continue building a mosaic of protected areas around the Salesopolis Wildlife Refuge for the Critically Endangered Marsh Antwren, and a further $5,000 to support the long-term reintroduction of the Endangered Black-fronted Piping Guan into the São Francisco Xavier Important Bird Area. Both projects build on previous NBC investment, demonstrating the kind of sustained, long-term commitment that delivers real conservation outcomes.

In Bolivia, two projects are being backed. The World Parrot Trust is installing 120 community-identified nest boxes for the Blue-throated Macaw, with local park rangers providing ongoing monitoring, while a follow-up awareness campaign for the Military Macaw is continuing in Parque Jacj Cuisi.

Argentina features prominently with two awards: one supporting the protection of nesting and foraging sites for the recently uplisted Magellanic Plover, and another funding an aerial flamingo census across the newly designated Parque Nacional Ansenuza, covering three threatened species of flamingo.

Elsewhere, researchers in Colombia are investigating whether the Sapphire-bellied Hummingbird truly constitutes a distinct species, work that is vital to understanding and protecting it. In Uruguay, NGO Ambá is working to stabilise the last two populations of the Endangered Saffron-cowled Blackbird. In Peru, fieldwork is under way to document the ecology of an as-yet undescribed spinetail that may prove to be Critically Endangered. In Brazil's Bahia state, researchers are using autonomous recording devices across 54 sites to understand how forest fragments and cocoa agroforests support the threatened White-eared Parakeet. And in the Bahamas, a study is examining nest-site selection in the underground-nesting Cuban Parrot on the Abaco Islands.

Why This Matters

The neotropical region contains the richest bird diversity on Earth, yet it also faces some of the most intense pressures from habitat loss, agricultural expansion, and climate change. NBC's model of directing relatively modest, targeted grants to local researchers and NGOs is proven to deliver tangible results for species that might otherwise slip towards extinction without anyone noticing.

We are delighted to play a small part in making this work possible.

To find out more about NBC or to support the Conservation Awards Programme, visit https://neotropicalbirdingandconservation.org

Banner image: © Dante Buzzetti

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